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Variegated bulbous oat grass, sweet white violet, and a bit of ‘White Nancy’ lamium in the lower left corner
Because of the warm April, a lot of the daffodils that were still blooming last year are done for this year. This is the “gap” time between the early blooming spring flowers and the big June extravaganza when all the experts say I should have lots of tulips blooming, but I don’t. I love tulips, but they prefer better draining soil than what I’ve got, and the plentiful rodents like to eat them. Instead, I seem to have a lot of green and white vignettes, such as the one above, and the one below.
The foliage of Brunnera ‘Looking Glass’ looks well with the great white trillium (Trillium grandiflorum)
Other white flowers blooming now are Narcissus poeticus and N. ‘Thalia,’ as well as the narcissus I’m calling ‘Irish Laddie’ (all featured in last year’s May bloom day post). My double white lilac (variety unknown) has also started to open. It’s always the earliest.
New and Noteworthy
Creeping phlox and ‘Waterperry’ veronica adorn the Birthday Garden wall, while ‘Curly Lace’ daffodil gazes down on them both.
I just got that dainty ‘Waterperry’ veronica last fall, and had no idea it would complement the creeping phlox I got from a friend many years ago. The ‘Curly Lace’ daffodils are a new introduction from Brent & Becky.
This ‘Victor Reiter’ sea pink (Armeria maritima) also graces the base of the stone wall
Both the veronica and the sea pink are marketed as Plants That Work in Nooks & Crannies. If you have a stone wall like mine or need a little plant to tuck in somewhere, you might want to browse through their website.
Everything else
- Johnny-jump-ups (Viola tricolor)
- Seneca Hill hellebore, pale yellow with pink flush
- plum colored hellebore, also from Seneca Hill Perennials
- Rundy’s cherry tree
- Tulipa bakeri ‘Lilac Wonder’. A species tulip that grows in the crocus bank.
- grape hyacinths
- The ‘Looking Glass’ brunnera growing next to the trilliums above has its first blossoms
- forget-me-nots
- Virginia bluebells
- violets
- The last bits of Corydalis solida
- the first trollius blossom
- purple-leaved ajuga
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17 responses so far ↓
1
mss @ Zanthan Gardens
// May 15, 2008 at 9:32 pm
I love those crisp greens and whites. They look especially refreshing this time of year when it is so hot and humid in Austin.
2
eliz
// May 15, 2008 at 9:44 pm
I have those violets too. If only they would bloom later and longer. The birthday garden wall is great!
3
Annie in Austin
// May 15, 2008 at 11:43 pm
Green and white works for me, too - love the leaves on the ‘Looking Glass’ Brunnera with the trillium.
Happy May, Kathy!
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
4
layanee
// May 16, 2008 at 7:28 am
Silver and white together are so refreshing. I do get tired of bright yellow in spring and must try some ‘Thalia’s’. I did spray my bulbs with Neem before planting as I have heard that it does deter the rodents. No damage this year.
5
Carol, May Dreams Gardens
// May 16, 2008 at 7:33 am
I’ll chime in as a fan of green and white in the garden. It is soothing and restful, it cleanses our palette so we are ready for the riot of colors that is to come.
6
Gail
// May 16, 2008 at 7:55 am
The green and white is wonderful, I need more white as I have a lot of green! Kathy, thanks for the link to Nooks and Crannies…that is just what I need for the new stone walls! I love blogging friends, they are always helpful! 1. add more white, 2. nooks and crannies
I am sighing with delight over your Trilliums…
Gail
7
Pam/Digging
// May 16, 2008 at 8:01 am
The green and white combos do look refreshing and cool. I particularly like the oat grass and white violets together.
8
Curtis
// May 16, 2008 at 8:35 am
Green, white and silver. It looks like they are ment to complement each other.
9
Nan Ondra
// May 16, 2008 at 10:55 am
Lovely combinations, Kathy! I so envy you that beautiful clump of variegated bulbous oat grass. I was able to grow it many years ago, but the summers here seem too hot for it now. Happy May Bloom Day!
10
Mr. McGregor's Daughter
// May 16, 2008 at 2:14 pm
I hope you don’t mind if I steal your idea, I mean I am inspired by your pairing of the Trillium & Brunnera ‘Looking Glass.’ I just bought the latter (on a whim) & couldn’t decide where to put it, so for now it’s in a container. (They say imitation is the highest form of flattery.)
11
Kathy Purdy
// May 16, 2008 at 2:28 pm
Hi, all–
, author of Time and the Gardener, among others. I used to have it on the western side of a lilac, and almost lost it. It is much happier on the moister, shady north side of the house, though even there it starts looking pretty scruffy during the hottest, driest part of the summer. As long as we get autumn rains it bounces right back.
The bulbous oat grass (Arrhenatherum elatius var. bulbosum ‘Variegatum’) came from Elisabeth Sheldon
12
Brenda
// May 16, 2008 at 8:48 pm
Those violets are absolutely beautiful and you are the second person I read about today with trilliums. Every spring I look for them in the wild, and take pictures, but have never grown them. SO pretty!
13
Bonnie
// May 17, 2008 at 9:26 pm
Green and white looks so clean and fresh. I think that’s why I love lambs ear so much because it is that cool green/blue with white fuzz.
14
Cindy
// May 19, 2008 at 2:02 pm
Kathy, since we can’t grow Brunnera or Trilliums, I think that’s my favorite picture. Then again, that little veronica is awfully cute, too …
15
Lori
// May 23, 2008 at 5:17 am
I’ve found myself admiring green and white combinations in my garden as well. One of my favorite pictures is of Shasta daisy blooms with white-flowering oxalis and spider plant.
And as an added bonus, I love how the whites really glow at twilight.
16
Mary Ann Newcomer
// May 26, 2008 at 11:50 pm
Yeah! You got the pictograph and I love your list of what you won’t get for Mother’s Day. I am still thinking of my list of junk. Will get back to you on that.
The great white (trillium) almost made me swoon.
And guess what? My colchicums have sent up leaves! Finally!
MA
17
Gardensbydesign
// May 28, 2008 at 6:13 pm
Very pleasing to the eyes. Love the color combos and overall arrangement.
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